Burning Midnight Coda
by Shimy
Summary: Just a small oneshot taking place after HTTYD2 and after the brand new, ten pages long comic called "Burning Midnight" that was released a couple of weeks ago. Hiccstrid and complete.
**Just a small oneshot taking place after HTTYD2 and after the brand new, ten pages long comic called "Burning Midnight" we got about two weeks ago.
So, I guess there are a couple of spoilers if you haven't read it yet.**  
 **I'm actually not completely satisfied with how it turned out but I hope you'll enjoy it anyway.**

* * *

Once the riders got their dragons free, they were able to defeat their foes in a matter of minutes.

Nobody could argue that Valka's profound knowledge of dragons proved to be especially helpful in those sticky situations.

Flying straight away back to Berk was, however, downright impossible at the moment – their home island was too far and the dragons simply too exhausted to endure such a long flight.

Thus, when Fishlegs suggested travelling to a nearby, isolated island that had seemed rather peaceful when they'd flown by its shores earlier that day, all the riders unanimously agreed without a second's hesitation – something Fishlegs himself was, admittedly, not exactly used to.  
They soon landed on a smooth plateau that seemed comfortable enough for both dragons and riders. Setting up camp was an easy task since everyone knew what they had to do.

Hiccup was just about to ask for some wood when he and Snotlout spotted Astrid and Eret coming back from the nearby forest where they had been collecting enough logs and dry branches to keep the campfire going all night long. Hiccup's cousin could not help but snigger and elbow his young chief in a gesture of what he probably thought was male camaraderie.

"You might need to mark your territory soon, if you get what I mean!"

"I certainly do not. Would you care to elaborate?" Hiccup replied, scowling a little.

"Aw, come on! Don't tell me you can't see that Eret's after Astrid!"

"You're ridiculous. They just get along well, given that they're both very capable warriors."

"Fine," Snotlout shrugged before turning round and walking to where Hookfang was lying, "but don't say I didn't warn you!"

Unbeknownst to Hiccup, Valka had been standing close enough to him to overhear the small conversation but she'd wisely chosen not to say anything. She herself was not worried at all about Astrid's commitment to Hiccup - she was, however, certainly interested in seeing how her son was going to react to Snotlout's teasing.  
When everything was ready, Hiccup had Toothless lit the fire and the riders prepared themselves to turn in for the night, safe for Valka who volunteered for the first watch.

The young chief sat down against the Night Fury's flank, drew one of the fur blankets he'd brought with him over his body and closed his eyes, trying to fall asleep and taking comfort in the purring noises Toothless was making.

It was not enough.

Hiccup found himself unable to shut his mind off and grew increasingly restless. Eventually, out of sheer frustration, he decided to get up again. Looking around, he realized that Astrid was not sleeping either – she was busy tending to Stormfly, who had suffered a few minor injuries during the earlier battle.  
As perceptive as ever, Astrid quickly noticed her boyfriend making his way over to where she stood. He looked agitated for some reason, and she didn't like it.

"Hey, Babe. Can't sleep?" She greeted him softly, not wanting to wake up the other riders.

"How is Stormfly?" was the only answer she got as she watched him rub her dragon's belly, and it instantly piqued her curiosity. Hiccup was rarely elusive with her, but when he was, it meant something was troubling him – sometimes for no particular reason.

"She's fine. These are just scratches – they'll be gone within a few days. Nothing to worry about."

"Good."

Her brows furrowed as he kept his back to her, clearly avoiding her gaze. She could practically hear the cogs turning in his brain. People said women were difficult to understand but, Odin help her, she could say the same about men. Well, one man.

"Hiccup?" She tried to get his attention, reaching out to grab one of his hands in hers. "What are you not telling me?"

"Do you like Eret?" He blurted out, still not meeting her eyes.

She felt her eyes go wide with surprise. Out of all possible answers, she'd certainly not expected _that_ to come out of his mouth.

"Well, I suppose. I mean, we have some identical interests. He's very good with weapons and he still needs to learn a lot about dragons."

Her boyfriend actually grumbled at that and she could not help but want to have a little fun at his expense.

"Also, it doesn't hurt that he's _so_ _very_ handsome."

At that, Hiccup span round so quickly he almost made her tumble to the ground. An offended, high-pitched "WHAT?!" instantly came out of his mouth, making her double over with laughter.

"That's not funny!" He hissed, feeling angry, which only served to make Astrid laugh harder.

"It so is!" She replied with difficulty, clutching onto her stomach whilst honestly trying to calm herself down.

Hiccup was just about to go back to where Toothless was when she finally managed to straighten up, an amused smile still gracing her face. She instantly noticed how he was stubbornly staring at the ground, his whole body tense and his mouth set in a grim, straight line.  
She shook her head in obvious disbelief at her boyfriend. The idiot had actually taken her words seriously.

"Babe, you know I was only teasing you." She soothed, cupping his face in her hands.

"Do I know that?"

Astrid smirked in that particular way which dared him to imply the opposite and his shoulders finally relaxed. His hands settled on her waist while she joined hers around his neck. At last, a small smile curved his lips.

"Okay. I'm sorry."

"Mhmm."

"I shouldn't have –

"You really shouldn't."

"But Snotlout said –

"Since when do you listen to Snotlout?"

"Point taken."

Both Vikings grinned at one another before leaning in for a gentle kiss as she stroked the fine hairs at the nape of his neck, making him moan softly in appreciation. When they broke apart, Hiccup kept his eyes closed and rested his forehead against Astrid's, rocking the both of them from side to side for a little while. His hands never left her waist.

"Hey, Babe?" She quietly breathed.

"Yeah?"

"How about we sleep together tonight?"

He took a step back from her, clearly surprised by her suggestion, and she furiously blushed when she realized where his mind had gone.

"Hiccup! I meant _actually sleep_."

He chuckled, winking at her. "I know, Milady. Just teasing you."

It did not take long for the both of them to find a comfortable position, wrapped up in a single blanket. Hiccup sat down with his back propped against Stormfly's belly while Astrid lay nestled against her boyfriend's side, her head resting in the crook of his neck, his heartbeat beneath her ear.  
Neither spoke a word for a while, feeling content to just be together. However, when Astrid thought back to Hiccup's unexpected insecurity earlier, she felt like she needed to clear it up once and for all. And now, she decided, was as good a time as ever.

She laced her fingers with Hiccup's, taking some time to choose her words with great care.

"You know, when I told that story about Stoick and myself, earlier, I kind of had an ulterior motive."

Astrid felt her boyfriend's body tense a little at her confession, but he didn't say anything so she went on. "I will admit to choosing that particular tidbit partly because I wanted to see how your mother would react to it. How she'd react to Stoick regarding me as the daughter he wished he'd had with her."

"I didn't realize you were worried about that."

"To be honest, I didn't realize it myself until the thought hit me."

"Mmm. And how do you feel now?"

"Happy. And sort of relieved, too." She smiled up at Hiccup as he pecked her forehead.

"I'm glad."

"But Hiccup – don't you see what it means?"

"What?"

"It means that you really needn't worry about Eret or any other man, for that matter. We've been together for several years already, and even though we've had our fair share of troubles, we've always managed to overcome them. I'm happy by your side. Both your parents said they see me as their own daughter. Do you really think I don't know what that means for our future?"

"I – uh – I didn't want to presume –

"And that does you credit. But let's be realistic here: the Council is soon going to remind you about your duties as Chief. One of which includes getting married."

"I know."

"And who are you going to propose to, pray tell?"

The young man just looked at her pointedly, as if she were crazy to ask that question, and she laughed softly. "My point exactly."

"So," Hiccup replied, feeling oddly nervous and confident at the same time, "are you saying that Berk should gear up for a wedding sometime soon?"

"What I'm saying, Babe," Astrid retorted easily as she settled back in his arms, humming contentedly, "is that when the time comes, you should not worry about what my answer is going to be. We're practically married already, anyway."

Hiccup could not help the huge grin that came over his face at her answer. There was a moment of silence before his chest rumbled with laughter, causing the young woman in his arms to look up at him inquisitively.

"What is it?"

"I just never thought I'd be able to call you my wife someday."

"Tell me about it."

"Hey!"

As they laughed and kissed again and eventually went to sleep in each other's arms, Valka watched from afar with a smile on her face.

Stoick had most certainly been right about the girl her son chose for himself – the daughter they'd wanted to have.

The daughter she now had for sure.


End file.
